Improvement in knitting-machines



J. M. ARMGUFL Knitting-Machines.

NO. 136,480. Patented March'4,1873.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. ARMOUR, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT I N KNITTING-MACHINES. v

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 136,480, dated March 4, 1873.

To all whom it may conce'm:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. ARMOUR, of the city of Syracuse, Onondaga county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements to the Knitting-Machine for which I received Letters Patent of the United States dated April 25, 1871, and numbered 113,965; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same and the form thereof when complete and ready for use, reference being hadto the annexed drawing forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side perspective view of the whole machine. Fig. 2 is a view of the needlebar and slotted needle with eyes and threads. Fig. 3 shows the cams used in operating the rack. Figs. 4 and 5 show two forms of feeders. Fig. 6 is a device for setting up and holding the work.

The letters used represent corresponding parts wherever they occur.

Ais a metal base with convenient openings for the several parts, as may be necessary. B is the arm for supporting the needle-bar. D is a circular carrier-frame with stitch-hooks and rack. The stitch-hooks are the same in form as those shown in my aforesaid Letters Patent. 0 shows the series of cams, five in number, upon the outer rim of a cam-wheel, to give motion to the carrier-frame. (Jams Nos. 1, 2, and 3 operate the same as in my aforesaid Letters Patent. The next operation is caused by cam No. 4, which causes the carrier-frame to go forward so that the needle-point comes out behind the hook at the point where it enters, and then cam No. 5 brings it back for the operation of cam No. 1. This allows the cams to be fastened permanently upon the outer rim of the wheel, making it practicable to dispense with the cam-reversing mechanism shown in said Letters Patent, the same result being obtained by reversing the motion of the cam-wheel. By making a gate, 9, between cams No.5 and N o. 1 the carrier-frame can be moved forward any reasonable distance to the extent of from one to four stitches 5 and that enables me,by using a number of needles, to knit striped, double, or three-ply work, or to knit on every second, third, or fourth hook with one needle, and with other variations to effect other similar objects. The gate 9 may be held in any given position by any ordinary device. The needle-bar F is provided with a head, H, in which the needles are fastened.

The needles may be made hollow, as in my former Letters Patent, or so slotted as to allow the thread or threads to lie wholly within the needle. I think this would be more convenient, especially where more than one cam or pin on the side of the cam-wheel, which cam or pin is so situated that when the stitch is made the lever will move the feeder G and draw back the work from the stitch-hook. The modified form of feeder G, shown in Fig. 5, is operated by arod near to and parallel with the needle-bar and moved byalever attached thereto, and so arran ged that it causes the feeder to press down the work inside of the carrier-frame from the time the needle leaves one stitch till it enters the next one. The work-holder M is a device for setting up the work, and consists of a series of hooks corresponding with the hooks on the carrier-frame and hinged upon the outer rim of a small disk, with the hooks turned toward the center, substantially as shown in the drawing. By placing these hooks inside of the carrier-frame, and spreading them out so that they will lie above and between the stitch-hooks in proper position, the needle will place the thread upon these hooks, and when this is completed, by one revolution of the carrier-frame, the weight may be attached to the work-holder and the knitting proceed.

Having fully described the mechanism of my machine, the operation is as follows: After threading the needle, turn the crank until the needle is at the highest point. Place the workholder on the carrier-frame, as above described. The needle then at each stroke will place the thread both on the hooks of the work-holder and of the carrier-frame. The weight is then attached to the workholder, and the knitting point, carrying the old stitch off the hook; but

before it has quite reached its lowest point cam No.3 begins to operate, and when its operation is completed the carrier-frame will be moved forward one stitch. By this movement the thread is caught upon the stitch-hook for the new stitch. The needle has begun to rise beforethe operation ofcam No.3 is completed,

a and when it has reached the position that its point may pass behind the stitch-hook, cam No. 4 moves the carrier-frame so that the needle-point comes out immediately behind the hook it has passed, completing the stitch on the stitch-hook. Then cam No. 5 carries the frame forward for the next stitch, while the needle rises to the highest point. The feeder operates to hold more securely the newly-made stitch, and acts with the weight in keeping a better tension of the web on the hooks immediately preceding and following the needle.

I do not deem the feeder essential, as a machine properly constructed will knit well without it. It is, however, a valuable auxiliary.

The feeders in either form are so constructed that they may be readily disengaged and the machine run without them.

For knitting a plain tubular web the knitting proceeds forward in the usual way without interruption. When it is desired to knit a plain flat web of any width, reverse the machine at a uniform point upon each side, accordin g to the width of the web; and the work may be narrowed or widened by changing the reversing-point. A tubular web may be narrowed by reversing the motion, as above, and from the point at which the narrowing commences until it ceases selvage edges will be left to be closed up by hand. A carrier-frame of less diameter may then be used and the work continued in tubular form.

If the machine be run with one needle and with the gate 1 closed it will knit a plain tubular web. If it be run with two or more needles with different-colored threads and with the gate g closed it will knit a plain tubular web with. rings of different color. If the machine be run with the gate g opened and with one needle it will knit on every second or third hook a plain tubular web of loose texture. If the machine be run with the gate g open and with two needles it will knit double work, either plain or striped, according to the color of the threads used in the several needles. If three needles be used and the gate properly adjusted it will knit three-ply. y

The same web may at any point be changed from plain to double work, or the reverse, by adjusting the gate 9 and adapting the needles thereto, as may be desired.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cam-wheel, provided with the cams Nos. 4. and 5, operating in connection with cams Nos. 1, 2, and 3, substantially in the manner and. for the purpose specified.

2. The cam-wheel having the cams herein described and the fixed or adjustable gate 9 between cams Nos. 1 and 5, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The feeder Gr, when operated in connection with the needle or needles and stitchhooks, substantially as described.

J. M. ARMOUR.

Witnesses present:

N. B. SMITH, 0. W. SMITH. 

